


Everyone Hail to the Pumpkin Throne

by MahoganyDoodles



Category: Dragon Ball, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fighting, Fluff, Frieza being his worst self as usual, Halloween, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-13 07:56:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21240764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MahoganyDoodles/pseuds/MahoganyDoodles
Summary: A Nightmare Before Christmas inspired AU.Vegeta, the Pumpkin King, has grown so tired of the same old thing… so when he meets the spiky-haired Christmas patron spirit, he’s determined to have Halloween Town’s very best scientist help him build a better Christmas than Goku ever could.





	Everyone Hail to the Pumpkin Throne

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Halloweenie collection, where 11 writers wrote a Halloween-inspired one-shot based on the prompt “Trick or Treat” by [Rogue_1102](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rogue_1102/pseuds/rogue_1102), and these one-shots were posted over the week leading up to Halloween! I highly recommend you check out the other works in the collection because they are BOMB, (linked [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Halloweenie) again if you want!) and the last works will be posted tomorrow!
> 
> If you’ve seen the movie, great! If not, it should hopefully still make sense, as I’ve gone very AU with both DBZ and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
> 
> Many lyrics and quotes, obviously, pulled from or inspired by the movie. 
> 
> Featuring:  
Vegeta as Jack Skellington  
Bulma as Sally/Dr. Finklestein Hybrid  
Dr. Briefs as Dr. Finklestein  
Goku as Santa Claus  
Chi-Chi as Mrs. Claus  
Frieza as Oogie Boogie  
Zarbon, Dodoria, and Ginyu as Shock, Lock, and Barrel  
Krillin, Launch, Pu’ar, and Piccolo, as…well, you’ll see.
> 
> Also, this piece was nominated for The Prince and The Heiress Annual Awards for Short Story/Drabble! So grateful for the honor and hope you'll check out all the other entries and vote when the time comes!

_ Our story begins, as so many do, on a dark and frightful night, _

_ In a town where the denizens delight in their holiday of fright… _

* * *

Ghouls and ghosts abounded, their calls and shrieks a cacophony of a chorus. Each paraded through the town square, bats swooping in and out and witches cackling as they sped through on their broomsticks.

_ This is Halloween, everybody make a scene, _

The group split up; a witch raising her wand, howling an incantation at a nearby decaying tree. It sprung to life, creaking and groaning as it stormed through the town square, barely avoiding a clown juggling several heads including its own. 

_ Everybody’s waiting for the next surprise, _

Growling interrupted the cheers and jeers, a figure pulling its head back to howl at the moon, body rippling underneath the clothing as fur sprung and teeth sharpened in a vicious grin, framing golden glowing eyes brimming with malice. 

_ It’s our town, everybody scream _

A group of vampires moved forward, their fangs gleaming in the moonlight as they swept past, pushing the crowd back before jumping upwards, their transformation into a bat occurring in the blink of an eye among the enthusiastic roars of the crowd.

_ Now won’t ya please make way for a very special guy, _

A horse clopped slowly to the center, a figure of straw seated on its back bearing a pumpkin’s head. 

_ Our Saiyan is King of the Pumpkin Patch, _

All quieted as the figure’s fists burst into flames, reverential awe palpable in their gazes as the flaming effigy spun this way and that, energy crackling in his wake as the straw burned brighter still. The wraith suddenly sprung, landing on top of the fountain in the town square as the last of the straw dropped, revealing a skeletal black figure, gloved hands raised to the sky, still glowing bright with molten power.

_ Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King, now! _

The skeleton man took a bow, and the crowd erupted in cheers as he stepped down from his throne.

“I think this was our best year yet, Vegeta! You were absolutely terrifying!”

Vegeta shrugged, wearily waving off the well-wisher.

Another specter followed in his wake, hopping from foot to foot, “And how did you get the straw to fall at just the right moment? It looked like you were rising from the ash!”

“Yes, yes. Petrifying. Horrific. Blood-curdling. I know.” Vegeta muttered, never breaking his stride. 

The fawning hangers-on continued to follow him right up until his door slammed in their faces.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

Halloween... had begun to tire him.

Every year, the townspeople delighted in how much macabreness they could fit into a single day, how haunting and horrific their parade was. 

But was it really?

Each parade the witches enchanted something and the vampires turned into bats and the skeletons danced and took off their heads and the clowns cackled and the corpses moaned and the werewolves howled, and they always thought it was something new and exciting. And of course, he was always the most terrifying star of the show (for he _was_ the Pumpkin King after all!) and true, he’d never lit himself on _fire_ before, and it was utterly terrifying and spectacular, but he always was. So what did that truly mean?

It was 364 days rehearsing for this one day a year and it was just…

Monotony.

He’d spent his whole existence, all this time focused on making Halloween as haunting a holiday as it could be, but it was always just the same tedious routine. And he was the only one that actually did anything, now. He was all alone. No one to share his burdens or triumphs with, ever since the other Saiyans had been killed centuries ago.

_ Crash. _ A skeleton launched itself at him. Hands raised to grip his throat. He barely had enough time to swat it away before a delighted laugh began to echo from the corner, a blue-haired woman stepping from the shadows. “Weren’t the animatronic skeletons spectacular? They almost looked like the real thing! Oh, and the zombies moaned so realistically, I should have tried using frog brain before, it has the perfect properties of single-minded drive that sentient creatures just can’t replicate. Ooh, and—”

A smile almost threatened to tug at Vegeta’s lips at the woman’s rambling. Inventions like Bulma’s were the only part of Halloween that still spawned terror in his heart. Dr. Briefs had always been a talented scientist, building him ever more realistic creations, but they were always the same: they lacked that fright factor and ingenuity that his prodigy's did.

He pressed a finger to her lips, halting her rambling. “Walk with me.”

“Yessir, Mr. Pumpkin, sir.” Bulma mocked as she raised her hand in a farce of a salute.

The crowd had dissipated outside his front door, but the pair slipped out the back anyways; Vegeta was taking no chances to have his contemplations interrupted, as prone to adoring him as the Halloween Town residents were.

His companion seemed to sense his foul mood as leaves crunched under their feet more and more as they neared the forest, falling silent where she would normally be effusive. They reached a clearing of stumps and Vegeta settled down on one, staring a thousand yards through the dense foliage. 

Bulma plopped cross-legged besides him, her eyes never leaving his face. “Hey, what’s bothering you?” she asked softly, face rife with concern. Her lips pouted, tugging down the stitches that lined her face. 

His stare didn’t break, eyes seeking the answers he craved in the unchanging sea of trees before him. “Don’t you ever think our Halloween is growing a bit… tiresome?”

Fury rose in Bulma’s blue eyes. “Are you saying my inventions aren’t scary enough?”

Vegeta snorted. “No, woman. Your inventions are the only part that  _ is _ good enough. It’s the rest of the festivities that are utter trash.”

“Oh.” Bulma blinked. 

“Yes.  _ Oh _ .” He sighed, pushing to his feet to pace the length of the clearing, aggravation growing with every step. “Our activities are nothing but monotonous. They heap praise and fame on me year after year but all I feel is emptiness. Tch… there’s no challenge. Just the same sounds of screams, the same routines, the same success without effort, year after year.”

His hand lifted, pulling his power into his palm as he stared at the energy flickering there.  _ That tree would make a satisfying target. _ Onyx eyes flickered to the side, where Bulma was seated.  _ But not now. _ The power extinguished.

He came to a stop at Bulma’s side, retaking his seat. “I need some time to think, to strategize about Halloween Town’s future. I can’t do that with all the glory hounds that nag my every step here. I’m going to hone my powers and meditate on the outskirts of town.”

Bulma nodded in understanding. “I’ll come with you. I could use some time to brainstorm for my next creation.”

Vegeta shook his head. “No. This is something I need to do on my own.” He stood up, brushing the dust off his suit. “And Bulma,”

“Yes?” Was this it? Was the man she so admired, who trusted her enough to share these deepest of his secrets and who treated her as her own person and not just some extension of her father, finally going to return her feelings or say something to her or—

His eyes bore into hers, stare fixed and face set. “While I’m gone, don’t go to the graveyard in the wastelands beyond the hill. I won’t be close enough nearby to protect our town if needed.”

Face set in a scowl, she stomped her foot. “And why shouldn’t I go there? Are you saying I can’t?”

“No, I’m  _ asking _ you to not make my life any harder, if you can get that through your thick skull, woman.”

“Hey! This was the only skull my dad had on hand when he made me, it’s not my fault my skull’s thick!”

Vegeta felt pressure building in his temple. Would this woman ever learn to just _ listen  _ sometimes instead of talking?

A weight settled on his forearm and he looked down, surprised to see Bulma’s warm hand encircling his tired bones. “I know I give you a hard time, but really, what’s there to be scared of out there anyway?”

_ Death himself. _

“Nobody that matters.”

His wrist tugged from her grip and he ignored her sounds of protest as he walked away, heading for the outskirts of town.

He had training to do after all.

* * *

Orange flames glowed in his palm, embers smoking behind him from the last tree to suffer his frustration. 

The blaze danced in Vegeta’s eyes as he cocked his head, contemplating the sight before him. He flexed his fingers, the tongues shooting ever higher as they shrouded the forest from his view, locking his gaze only on the power that lay within his body. He was stronger still than he had been last year—and still it was not enough to at last destroy his worst enemy. And if he could not be strong enough on Halloween, the equinox of his power, then how could his aura be strong enough at other times to protect his town? 

Energy crackled again as his fist clenched, the entire area turning to ash in the dense outpouring of strength, the length of leveled forest stretching out in every direction from where he stood. 

He walked past the smoldering stumps towards a yet untouched patch, musing on his own display. He was, without a doubt, the strongest Saiyan to have ever lived. To channel the powers of terror and panic, those weapons of the undead. 

Saiyans had once roamed Halloween Town, their innate soul-bond with the holiday giving them the tools and powers of fright. But some were stronger than others and Vegeta had always been the strongest, burned the brightest from the moment terror and taboo itself had formed his essence. He embodied Halloween, tapping into its power to strengthen his own energy ever more. 

But now he wielded the title of Pumpkin King alone, abandoned through the weakness of his forefathers and subjects. For even the dead can die in a battle so long and so bloody, between the cool lizard-like race of his nemesis and his own hot-blooded brothers-in-arms that only the strongest one from each side had remained. With every Saiyan death his hold over his aura had strengthened, their spirits melding with his own to lend him every shred of power over Halloween, crying out with one voice to avenge his fallen race. He was far stronger than any lackey the Kolds had produced, and had defeated his archenemy long ago...

And yet, it was not enough. He may have banished his greatest enemy, but to truly eradicate evil so primordial, one not only had to overpower but utterly decimate. And in this form, he still didn’t have enough strength to accomplish that. No matter how much he increased his power year after year. No matter how he felt the moon resonate in his bones and the shadows and fog trail his every step. It was never enough.

He had plateaued. It was simply the only explanation: there was nowhere left to go. The increases to his power were marginal year after year, no matter how innovating or spectacularly frightening each year went. And each year  _ had _ to go perfectly to increase his strength in the first place, however minute those increases might be. And yet they meant nothing, for Frieza Frighta still lived. 

At this point, his faith had wavered in even the Super Saiyan legends of old, and he despaired that tyrant may never be destroyed.

Frustration pulsed through his body, shooting outwards from both palms in a burst of energy at the widest unfortunate tree in the patch, unleashing a primal scream as he increased the power. Orange flames warped from his palms to dance along his skin, his very soul channeling the energy.

Vegeta panted, sweat dripping down his head to pool at the base of his armor’s collar, the smoky haze clearing slowly before him.

To reveal the tree he had unleashed his rage on still standing. 

_ How? _ He had unleashed nearly the full force of his power on this simple plant and yet, here it stood, with barely a layer of soot to coat the outside. He took a step forward, then another, and another, until he found himself in front of the curious specimen. He dragged his finger across the bark, ash staining his hand black as he surveyed the tree. 

Underneath the residue, the bark appeared to be in perfect condition. Remarkable. 

He dragged his hand further across the tree, clearing a patch where his hand swept. And in that patch, something unexpected caught his eye. A curious crack, so fine he had barely noticed it. 

He settled his fingertips on the bark, pushing firmly. The tree shuddered. He flattened his hand more firmly against the bark, pressing his shoulder against it as he shoved with all his might. 

He felt his body spill out beneath him, the bark shrieking as it gave way rapidly and Vegeta fell forward, bashing his face against the hard ground.

The Pumpkin King groaned, head spinning from the forceful collapse. He pushed to his knees, trying to center himself after his spiral from a great height.

He blinked, seeing double, no, triple, no, quadruple, no—he tapped the side of his head to clear his mind, senses sharpening as he adjusted to his new surroundings. 

Six towering trees stood in a semi-circle around him, all mirrors of the one he had attempted to destroy. Each had been brightly painted with a different symbol, although Vegeta racked his brain to determine what they could possibly mean. 

He shifted his weight, scanning for threats. The tree he had blasted had a gaping hole, which must have been how he had appeared in this place he had never known existed. And on that gaping hole, a hinge, and attached to that hinge a carving of a grinning bright jack-o-lantern. 

Well, that object he at least recognized. But those other symbols… his head swiveled forwards, shifting his attention back to the other trees in the grove… he had never seen some of these before. And at the center of it all, a mighty oak with a smaller tree painted on the tough bark: a thick green shrub with circles of red and gold dotting its branches, and emitting such a curious aura….

Vegeta took a step forward. There was just something about this tree that called to him, and within seconds he found himself pressed up against the finely painted wood. He settled his hand against the design, pushing lightly. The creak echoed in the silence of the grove surrounding him as the tree design slowly swung open. 

Sweet scents wafted in his direction, his nose twitching at the unfamiliar smells. And what was this? That feeling—like a slow fire, warming him from the inside out… he had never felt such a power, such… warmth? What could it be?

Hands gripped either side of the maw, leaning his head further into the newly formed gap. 

The sight that greeted him was unbelievable. Just beyond the dark veil of the tree, there lay a white wonderland, a glistening world filled with objects and glories he had never seen. Small, solid buildings with rosy fires burning merrily, the peal of laughs derived not from maliciousness, but pure joy, the awe and wonder that seemed to twinkle in the air, a certain glimmer that surrounded everything. 

Vegeta took a step forward, recoiling in surprise as his foot met not solid ground, but something soft and chilly. A hole existed now where his foot had been, a mar upon the pristine white landscape. 

Vegeta looked down at his foot. Besides being a bit colder, he was no worse for the wear. This white substance had done him no damage. He set his foot back down, surprised to find the ground no longer yielded under him but remained firm, packed down by the force with which he had set his foot. 

He took another hesitant step forward, noticing the same thing. He was barely two steps beyond the tree he had entered from, but was quite unsure what to do next. Everything here was so unfamiliar and yet… he could feel some kind of energy tingling in his body, calling to him in a way he had never experienced before. The newness of it all almost frightened him, but fear was not a tool to control him but rather a tool he controlled. And so Vegeta marched forward, eyes set on the cluster of buildings and activity just over the hill. 

As he walked, everywhere he looked was something new and unexpected. Children playing, the smell of foods baking, lights merrily twinkling strung across every building. 

He had reached the cluster of homes and was surprised to find the windows were not darkened as they would be in Halloween Town, but crystal clear for anyone to peer through. In the first home Vegeta stumbled across, men and women embraced, music playing cheerily as they spun in circles, arms entwined. 

He moved to the next house, smaller versions of the creatures he had just seen tucked nicely into bed, smiles warming their small faces. 

He looked and looked at this strange world, peering in and out of windows and at decorations for hours, but all he could find was no tricks, just treats! A world of delight and jolliness so bright, it warmed him from within.

And at the end of the street, a home so magnificent, so large and opulent, that he was sure it must belong to the ruler of this mysterious land. 

He halted his journey at the doorstep, looking up at the green plants wreathed in different shapes across the windows. Intricate red ribbon interwoven with the greenery, spelling out an unknown word.

_ Christmas Town? _

Was this the name of this extraordinary place with such latent power resonating throughout? Dark eyes slid down, noting the solid wood door with a curious red symbol on it, surrounded by red and white striped pillars. His hand twisted the doorknob, surprised to find it unlocked as he walked inside.

An oppressing weight settled on his shoulders as he stepped through the door, his pride the only thing keeping his knees from buckling. It was the same energy he had felt throughout the town, but magnified a hundred, no, a thousand times over—

“Hiya, I’m Goku!”

A figured robed in a flowing red jumpsuit trimmed in white stood before him, with spiky black hair that he had only ever seen on—

“A Saiyan?” he whispered in disbelief.

The figure laughed. “No silly, I just told ya my name was Goku! What’s yours?”

Vegeta’s eyes slid from side to side. The energy he felt was rolling off in waves from where this Goku was standing, and he couldn’t see anything else in the room that could possibly deliver such power. “Is that force you?”

Goku smacked his forehead. “Oh! Sorry, since it’s just me and Chi here sometimes I forget it can be a lot for people who aren’t used to it.” The air became more buoyant, and Vegeta straightened, rolling his shoulders.

“You aren’t from around here, are ya? I’ve never met anyone who looked like you.” Vegeta glanced downwards. Yes, his black garments and skeletal appearance were certainly at odds with everything about this place, where all was light and warm and soft. But even he started to look less skeletal in this place, his ashy pale skin taking on a rosy tinge in the light from dozens of twinkling strands.

It was all so new… and he found he actually  _ liked _ it. And this man before him clearly understood what this place was, and the tremendous power he found here. He needed to make a strong impression. “I am Vegeta, Prince of All Saiyans. The Pumpkin King of Halloween Town.”

“Oh wow that sounds so cool! I’m uh… Goku, the… Santa of Christmas Town?” Goku laughed again. “Sorry, I don’t have any cool names like you! I’m just Goku. But if you’re from Halloween Town, then you must know my friend Bulma!”

“Bulma?”

His head bobbed in acknowledgement. “Yeah! She’s one of my best friends. She’s kinda hard to miss, she’s got this bright blue hair and she’s really loud and she’s got these weird thread things on her face—”

Vegeta cut him off. “I know what she looks like. How do you know my scientist?” This was certainly almost even more of a surprise than the town itself.

“Oh! Well she lived here for a while last year. Ya know, when she was exploring and stuff. She had been to County St. Patrick’s Day and Easter Village before she came here, and then afterwards she went to go see my friend Krillin and then ooh! Ooh!” Goku swiveled, giddy with joy. “She built us a ton of cool stuff, do ya wanna see?”

Baffled didn’t begin to cover it. Bulma had been building her inventions for someone other than him? Right now he couldn’t do anything but… when he returned to his domain, he would expect answers.

The clown was already halfway down a nearby hallway when he stopped his musing, jogging to catch up. The pair stopped outside an enormous window, peering down into the gigantic warehouse below. 

Rows and rows of machines lined the walls, spitting multicolored boxes onto a maze of complicated conveyor belts that sent packages every which way. Tiny beings scurried from end to end, changing settings and diverting flows. 

“Ya see? Thanks to these new machines the elves and I have a bunch more time to think about innovation in the present space.”

One of the colorful boxes from below popped into his host’s hand. “That’s where we’ve been focusing on right now—how can we reimagine the present unboxing experience?”

“Present?”

“Oh sorry! You know, like every Christmas, I travel the world to give gifts to good little children. And speaking of presents!” A solid hand wrapped around his wrist, the other lifting two fingers to his forehead as Vegeta’s stomach fell away behind him. 

Vegeta stumbled to the ground, gasping for air as he looked around the wooden structure in shock. 

“You can  _ teleport _ ?”

“Yeah, it’s called Instant Transmission. You didn’t think I could get around the whole world in just one night just by flying right? That would take forever!” Goku strode past him to a white sleigh, emblazoned with the word Nimbus on the side in gold. He tapped the sleigh on the side, face beaming with pride. “I do have the reindeer and sleigh though, but I have a bunch of teams of them! And then I can just use Instant Transmission to get from sleigh to sleigh and in and out of houses. But this is what I really came here to show you.” He grabbed a handful of small capsules out of the sleigh, casually picking one up and throwing it on the ground. 

A large burlap sack sprang into existence. Vegeta’s mouth dropped open in shock. What other wonders would this place bring? 

“Yeah! Bulma made them, aren’t they great? It’s so much easier to carry all the presents that I need this way.” Vegeta continued to stare blankly at the colorful boxes spilling from the sack, determined to keep his face a mask. 

A meaty hand waved in front of his face, interrupting his focus. “Christmas Town to Vegeta, are you there?” Goku seemed puzzled. “Wait—do you not know what a Christmas present is?”

Vegeta crossed his arms, and a scowl appeared on his face. 

“Why didn’t you tell me? Oh, I have the perfect one for you!” He dove further into the sack, digging through the pile. “Gotcha!”

Goku shoved a glittering silver box into Vegeta’s folded arms, forcing him to take a step back to grab it. “Merry Christmas!” Unsure what to do, Vegeta turned the box over in confusion. The top tumbled off and he uprighted the package, peering inside. 

Dozens of glittering lights winked back at him in all shades of colors, gleaming merrily from the smooth confines of the box. “Look, Christmas lights of your own! And you don’t even have to plug these ones in, they’re powered by Christmas spirit.” Goku took a deep inhale, “Mm, can’t you just feel it in the air?”

And he did. Staring down at the lights in his hands made him feel warm and… happy? It had been so long since he had felt this way that he scarcely knew what to call it anymore. “Is that what this power is?” He had become used to the energy of this world in the hours he had spent here, but he could still feel its power thrumming through him with every breath, and especially coming from the box in his hands. 

“Yep! Half this town is run on Christmas spirit.” A tiny alarm beeped from Goku’s wrist. “Shoot, I totally forgot I had a meeting with Chi-Chi and the elves to discuss new wrapping paper, she’s gonna kill me if I’m late!” That terrible stomach-dropping-out feeling returned, Vegeta stumbling a step or two in the snow before righting himself. They were back at the tree he had entered through, and he turned to see Goku running in the opposite direction.

“It was great meeting you! Come back any time! And tell Bulma I say hi!” And with that he leapt into the air with a boom, the crushing power he had felt from before returning for a second as Goku winked out of existence. 

That power… it was still unbelievable. Was this the power he had been searching for? Was it the thing he needed to make Halloween great again? And Bulma… he mused as he climbed through the tree. He had nearly forgotten Goku had earlier mentioned she had been to this place, but had never breathed a word of it to him. Suspicious...

He had a lot to think about.

* * *

His feet brought him to Dr. Briefs’ front door, the door creaking open against the pressure of his shoulder. 

The doctor looked up from the table where he had been working and began rolling his wheelchair to the door. “Ah, Vegeta! So great to see you as always.”

“And you, Dr. Briefs.”

“What brings you to my laboratory, eh? Preparing for next Halloween already?”

“Actually, I wanted to ask you about Bulma. How long ago did you build Bulma again?”

Dr. Briefs scratched his head, leaning back in his chair. “A very good question! I believe it was, say, four years ago? I built Panchy nearly twenty years ago to care for me, and excellent though she is, we both felt that there was something missing. So I built Bulma, to have another person with whom I could share my intellectual spirit and for Panchy to have someone else she could dote on.” He chuckled. “That woman won’t be happy until she’s feeding half of Halloween Town!”

“Hm. And I remember Bulma left the town for a while to study… what was she doing?”

“Well, we don’t really know much about what’s out there on the outskirts of Halloween Town. So Bulma went there to try to push the boundaries of what we know. I don’t quite know actually, you’d have to ask Bulma herself.”

“Ask me what?”

Bulma stood at the base of the stairs, leaning against the railing. “Why, Vegeta here wanted to ask you about your sabbatical!” Her father chuckled before heading towards the other room, calling over his shoulder, “I’ll leave you two to talk!”

Bulma looked expectantly at him. “Well, what do you want to know?”

Just how closely was she playing this to the chest? He had always respected Bulma, but hiding something of this magnitude had jaded him. “Where you went, what you found, who you met… that kind of thing.”

She shuffled her feet a fraction and attempted to school her face into nonchalance. If he didn’t know her so well it probably would have worked.

“Well, there’s not really much more to Halloween Town than we know. When you make it far enough into the forest, eventually you start to come out on the other side of Halloween Town. I thought I was on to something when I started tracking some strange energy patterns I had noticed, but they didn’t seem to have much to do with Halloween Town itself.”

Vegeta lifted a brow. “Oh? Then what did they have to do with?”

Bulma tensed a little, narrowing her eyes. “They coalesce around a single point.”

He took a step forward, bringing him inches away from Bulma’s face. “That point wouldn’t happen to be a certain tree, would it?”

To her credit, Bulma didn’t flinch at all. Clearly contemplating her next move, she held her tongue as he could practically see the gears spinning rapidly in her head. Why was she so intent on hiding this? “I already met Goku, the Satan or Sandy Claws or whatever the hell they call him of Christmas Town. He already told me you spent time there.”

No way forward besides forward. “Yes, I did.”

“So then why did you lie to me?”

“I didn’t  _ lie _ to you, I just… didn’t tell you.”

Vegeta scoffed. “The energy I felt while I was there, the power, the spirit, the presents, the warmth—this is it, woman—exactly what’s been missing from Halloween! I thought you agreed with me, wanted to restore Halloween to its former glory with me, but clearly you were trying to keep it for yourself.”

A sigh escaped her lips. “Look, the other holidays are amazing. I loved my time in Christmas Town. But they’re also dangerous, and that’s what I spent my whole journey studying. Crossing the energy streams of the different holidays can have potentially disastrous consequences. They’re kept separated for a reason. The existence of the seven holidays has been a secret since the beginning of Halloween Town; I didn’t share it with you or anyone else to keep us all safe.”

Vegeta sagged against the wall. The answer had been so close for so long, and yet it had been kept from him. The dragging on, the endless monotony, a power that surely was strong enough to defeat even his greatest enemy himself… it had all been kept from him, and for what?”

“Can’t you see? This is it, woman—this is exactly what’s been missing from Halloween! We don’t have to cross the energy, or whatever it is you’re worried about. I won’t go back to Christmas Town; we can have Christmas here instead. The townsfolk will finally have something new to do. There’ll be nothing dangerous about it at all.” He grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Bulma, you know more about Christmas than anyone else in Halloween Town. Help me help our town. Help me run Christmas here.” 

“Vegeta… I still don’t know if that’s the best idea.”

“We can put a tree in the center of the town square and can give presents to all of the residents and decorate with ornaments and lights and all the doodads they have in Christmas Town.” His eyes were alight with manic energy. “I haven’t felt so alive in so many years. Will you help me?”

Their eyes locked, Bulma still shifting uncomfortably. His eyes beseeched hers, so wide and round in their excitement. He was just so happy, and excited, how could she say no? Her head nodded, despite her mind’s protest. 

“I’ll go call a Town Hall now. I have to announce my decision to everyone.” He swept out of the room, his coattails flowing behind him. “Christmas is going to be such a success with your help!”

Bulma’s outstretched hand fell, her whole body slumping as she contemplated the newest insanity that had claimed the Pumpkin King and the danger it might bring to the town. “Yes… such a success.”

* * *

The townspeople left the town hall delighting in their leader’s plan to expand Halloween to a whole new level. Each had their duties that they took great relish in, designing presents, decorations, and treats where they had once designed tricks. They delighted in all the ways they could apply their mischief to a whole new medium. 

None had a greater part than Bulma and Dr. Briefs, who were tasked with building the technical components needed for Christmas, of creating the reindeer and sleigh and all the pieces to go along with it. 

For his own part, Vegeta locked himself in his tower, pouring over everything he could get his hands on about Christmas. The carols, the stories, the decorations, the presents, the rhymes. Each he memorized by heart, determined to bring the feelings and power that he had experienced in Christmas Town to his own town of Halloween. His strand of lights from Christmas Town twinkled overhead throughout it all, but something continued to evade him…

No matter how many tomes he read or how many times he interrogated Bulma on the inner workings of Christmas Town, there was something just… missing from their Halloween Christmas celebration. The lightness in the air and the aura that he had felt in Christmas Town felt tainted here, and as every day drew closer and closer to Christmas, the rising concern he felt grew ever stronger. He oversaw the most minute of the townspeople’s preparation for the holiday and yet… it still wasn’t right. 

He trained his mind and his thoughts every day. He could feel it, just out of reach no matter how hard he worked, that Christmas spirit which came so easily to Goku.

He looked again and again. 

The carols.

The stories. 

The decorations. 

The presents.

The rhymes.

Not one of them had the power to recreate what he had felt there and yet he racked and racked his brain and he could not find what would. And he had been certain, oh so certain, that this Christmas Town had held the key to the power that he needed, to overcome the plateau he had been stranded on for centuries… perhaps even to reach the power of Super Saiyan of legend. And the ruler of Christmas Town was surely a Saiyan as well, so why shouldn’t it?

And so it was, gazing out his window late Christmas Eve, wishing for the white, snowy expanse of Christmas Town that it came to him. 

They couldn’t gain the power of Christmas Town when Christmas Town itself still held that power. 

They didn’t need to just have their _ own  _ Christmas… they needed to have everyone’s Christmas. And they had already been preparing for so long, that they assuredly would have all they needed anyway! How could this idea not have come to him before? And now that it had, it was almost too late, but if they hurried they would truly have it at last! There were so many preparations that he needed to make, so many meetings to call, so many plans to put into action… 

And so it was, another town hall later, after the townspeople cackled and crowed at his proposal, delighted to make Christmas their own, that he summoned Zarbon, Dodoria, and Ginyu to his home. 

The three miscreants stood before him, each quaking in their boots as he stared them down. 

They were dangerous, that was sure… but they were effective, and as Christmas was tomorrow they needed to work fast. 

“Now, you all know that tomorrow we will be taking over Christmas festivities from Christmas Town for the year. And to do that, I want you to bring the Sandy Claws here from Christmas Town so that he can see everything that we’ve done and we can continue with the Christmas preparations. I want you to go to Christmas Town and retrieve him immediately.” He leaned in menacingly to the three of them, using his most frightening grin as he bared his teeth and growled out, “And you will absolutely _ not _ breathe a single word of this to that bogeyman or I will tear you to so many pieces you won’t even be able to find all of them. Do I make myself clear?”

The trio shivered before him, strangling out repeated  _ yes sirs _ and  _ absolutely sirs _ before they fled out his door, headed directly for the forest where the circle of trees could be found.

Effective, as he said. But their loyalty did leave room for question…

And yet he assured himself, there had been no need for his worry as the trio appeared an hour later, a burlap sack in their hovercraft in tow. 

The hovercraft shuddered to a stop in front of him, and a spiky head poked itself out of the bag. 

“Vegeta?”

“Ah, Goku. So happy you were able to make it. We’ve all been so inspired here in Halloween Town with what you’ve been able to do with Christmas that we wanted to try our own hand at it.” Vegeta grinned, patting Goku on the shoulder. “So, this year, you won’t have to worry about your Christmas duties at all. We’ll take care of all of that.”

“I mean I’m happy that you enjoyed Christmas so much, but wait—” Ginyu clapped him over the head with a large frying pan, cackling as Goku’s eyes crossed, his head swaying slightly as he tried to regain control of himself. 

“Stop that!” Ginyu stopped laughing immediately and took to cowering as orange flames lit Vegeta’s palm, the energy crackling menacingly. “You will treat our  _ guest  _ with respect. Take him to my home and make him comfortable so he can enjoy the Christmas festivities.”

“Oh yes… we’ll make him comfortable Vegeta, I swear!” Zarbon called out as the hovercraft lifted again, the trio hurrying out of Vegeta’s presence. 

The quiet that followed their departure was almost immediately interrupted by a blue-haired banshee. 

“Taking over Christmas? Did you not listen at ALL when I told you that mixing the holiday energies was dangerous? Really Vegeta?”

“Actually woman, your friend Goku was here and already gave his approval. Stop your worrying. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a lot of preparations to make so that we are ready for Christmas later tonight.”

“Goku’s  _ here _ ?” She looked as if she couldn’t quite believe the words that had left her lips. 

“Yes, he’s here. Zarbon, Dodoria, and Ginyu are showing him to my house to make him comfortable.”

Bulma’s face went sheet-white. “You left him with _ them _ ? Oh Kami...” She ran out the door, not hesitating for a second as she set on her way.

Vegeta felt a small twinge at her leaving. He hadn’t intended to ostracize her with his decision. But still, this was clearly the best decision for Halloween Town.

* * *

It was warm and itchy and Goku did  _ not _ like coming to in one of his present bags. He tried and tried but couldn’t Instant Transmit—whatever properties Bulma had imbued within the bag to keep it safe during Instant Transmission and encapsulation appeared to be preventing his own escape from within. The three who had attacked him had seemed so small and feeble that he hadn’t wanted to hurt them, but now he was beginning to regret that decision thanks to the pounding in his head.

He shifted in the sack, trying to find the opening from his uncomfortable position.

His movements earned him another whack on the head. “Shut up in there! We’re almost to Frieza Frighta’s and we don’t need you messing this up or both him and Vegeta will disembowel us!”

Frieza Frighta? Goku’s mind was swimming, but he didn’t recall hearing that name before from Bulma. But for whatever reason, it sent chills through his veins. 

He didn’t have the time to think because within minutes, they came to a halting stop, his bag tossed on the floor and pulled off unceremoniously.

Above him stood a pale white figure, gnarled horns and dead eyes looking down on him with cruel disdain. Looking at him gave Goku a feeling he could only describe as slimy, that quickly turned to horror as the villain’s mouth opened to reveal hundreds of sharp teeth.

“Why, he’s just another dirty monkey. There’s nothing special about him at all.” Goku felt like he couldn’t breathe, a cool, reptilian weight pressing down on him. He had never encountered someone so strong before, and it terrified him. “Just toss him in the stew pot, I have no use for him.”

“But wait! That’s not all we have!” Zarbon tossed a thick field journal at the monster’s feet. “We pick-pocketed this from the blue-haired dummy. There’s a dragon, and keys, and he’s one of them!”

“Oh?” Frieza snatched the book off the ground, flipping through the pages until he settled on an entry, fingers tracing down that page as he began to cackle louder, louder, and louder still.

“You’ve done well by bringing this book to me. Your feeble minds can’t even begin to comprehend the centuries of lost knowledge you’ve found. Now, I need you to return to the grove where you found this monkey.”

* * *

In his sleigh atop the Spiral Hill, Vegeta looked across the Pumpkin Patch at the cheering onlookers. The animatronic reindeer the Briefs had built him gleamed, pawing at the ground in anticipation. 

“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a frightful night!” Vegeta called across the crowd, cracking his reins as the reindeer took to the night sky, pulling the sleigh full of prepared toys across the full moon while cackles and howls followed in their midst. 

For his first stop, Vegeta touched down to deliver all the little children there the ghoulish and frightening toys that would no doubt make their Christmas morning a delight. Down this chimney he leapt and left a shrunken head covered in glitter, down that he left a most vicious snake with a beautiful bow around its neck. These were presents the likes of which these children had never seen, and they would be utterly blown away by the creativity and joy poured into each one by Halloween Town’s residents.

And so behind each house that he left came the screams of their tenants, the shrill horror, no doubt cheering him on and thanking him for his excellent interpretation of Christmas to bring them something so new, and so unique that they would speak about it for years to come! And so he continued on to the next country and the next, and the next, flying as fast as he could to beat the dawn snapping at his heels and leave the children of the world with every delightful present Halloween Town had concocted. 

A parade of fireworks began to follow in his wake, the glow lighting his path wherever he went. “Look, they’re making their own Christmas lights for us!” He called to his reindeer, cackling in his glee. Of course they had a successful Christmas after all, what had Bulma been worried about! 

Another firework lit up the sky, just barely missing their sleigh. Vegeta glowered down over the side. It was almost as if these fools were trying to hit them!

Another came blazing by, this time close enough for him to see that it was — “a missile?” He swerved the sleigh out of the way of the next, and the next, and the next, all now locked on and getting faster and faster in their firing speed. “They’re _ trying _ to hit us!” He cried.

At that, the sleigh shattered beneath him, toys and goodies spilling across the night sky.

* * *

Groaning, Vegeta’s eyes cracked open to a sea painted in shades of gray and black. He sat up from where he had fallen, peering around. 

Even when he tried to run Christmas… he still ended up right back where he had always been, in a graveyard. 

He howled in frustration, fists clenching in rage, feeling the ki flowing to his fingertips. He raised a hand to inspect the energy he found there. Not red, like Goku’s power, but the same orange burn that had always filled his palm.

The thought filled him with rage, growing angrier and angrier. He had worked so hard. He had done everything by the book, had spent days upon weeks upon months preparing and training his mind to think exclusively in terms of Christmas and to execute everything perfectly.

But for every present all he wanted to do was add jump scares and every carol he wanted to add cackles and haunting notes. He didn’t belong in the winter world he had been shot from. But here—it was beautiful around him, the tombstones and spider webs and bright moonlight singing the song of home in his heart. He was Halloween through and through. 

He had been going about this all wrong, he didn’t need to bring Halloween to Christmas… he needed to bring Christmas to Halloween. If he wanted to invigorate Halloween, his inspiration needed to be how to make Halloween better, not how to make Christmas better!

Of course! His ki crackled merrily around him, growing larger and larger in his hands, making him feel weightless as a bird. He was the Pumpkin King! And next Halloween was going to be the most spectacular ever, and he had so many new ideas for how to incorporate screams and scares yet unheard of—but for now, it was still Christmas night… and there may still be time, to set things right.

Goku—Bulma—he needed to get back. 

* * *

His feet touched down on the top of the Spiral Hill, senses reaching out. He couldn’t feel Bulma’s ki, or even Goku’s tremendous energy in the direction of the town. 

Cool dread crept through him. Where could they be? 

Hairs prickled on the back of his neck as he turned to face the wastelands, multiple powerful energy signatures calling to him. Goku’s burning red, Bulma’s small power, and many others he didn’t recognize.

Frieza’s lair. 

* * *

Bulma crawled silently through the shadows, gun strapped to her back. She had always been warned away from the wastelands, and so when she had searched and searched Halloween Town and been unable to find her best friend, she had known there was only one place those three miscreants could have taken him. 

She had heard rumors of a great evil that lived here, too great even for Vegeta himself to defeat. But if Goku needed her, then how could she turn around? When she stumbled upon the lair she had the good sense to keep her presence hidden, and the better luck to find the vent she was now reaching the end of.

At last, she reached the light which had guided her through the maze of tubes. An elaborate circular wheel lay below her, lined with knives and guns and maces and all manner of cruel instruments that made her gulp in fear. And strapped down to the wheel was her best friend, insisting loudly that he needed to be let go now otherwise Christmas would be ruined.

And strapped along other points of the wheel were other figures—wait. Was that Pu’ar? The Easter Kitty? And Launch—the unruly St. Patrick’s Day patron? And Krillin, and Piccolo—

Oh,  _ fuckkkkkkkkkkk _ .

A white figure appeared from the shadows, growling menacingly. He struck terror into Bulma’s heart just looking at him. Something deep inside screaming at her  _ Run! Danger! Evil! _ radiated from the villain’s slimy aura.

“Where is the last one? If we don’t have the sixth before that Pumpkin imbecile returns this will all have been for naught.”

“We’re trying! They’re very hard to catch!” 

The lizard spun around, smacking Dodoria so solidly he flew across the room. 

“Then  _ try. Harder.” _ The two standing henchmen nodded furiously, fleeing the room while the figure circled back to his victims below, snarling still. “God, why is it so hard to find decent help these days.”

Goku’s spiky head shot back up. “I’m telling you, Vegeta’s going to be here soon and he’s going to be very mad! He’s my friend and he’ll sort you out.”

Frieza loomed down on the red-clad figure, the seam on his face splitting into a cruel smile. “Oh, I’m quite counting on him showing up. That dirty monkey never did know when to keep his nose out of his better’s business, and this time it will be his undoing.”

He began pacing, “Of course, you’re probably far too stupid to realize it, but it’s your own doom as well. For you see… the legends have always told of the magical powers of holidays, their wish-granting abilities and the like… but how to actually achieve those wishes? Well, that secret was lost to us long ago… until your blue-haired friend shared her secrets with me.” A gray book appeared from behind his back, a notebook she recognized too well. 

_ Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck,  _ she had kept that book with her at all times ever since Vegeta had returned from Christmas Town, how had this monster gotten ahold of it?

Ohhhhh... this was  _ not _ good. 

Below her, Frieza continued his monologue. “The secrets of how to bring the seven holiday spirits together to create a beast so powerful it can grant any wishes… immortality, world domination… why, the list of all the horrific things I could do with such power is still growing longer by the minute.” He sighed wistfully. “It will be so...  _ delicious.” _

“Bulma would never betray us!”

Frieza’s head snapped to the side and he came to a stop before the spirit of love, glowering down on the small figure below him. “Oh, she did. She came to me personally to share her secrets in return for a fraction of my power.”

Krillin flinched, cowering backwards briefly before returning his glare to Frieza’s face. “You’re lying! Bulma is our friend!”

A white hand shot forward, blasting a hole through the wall before lowering that dark black power to aim directly at Krillin. “Don’t tempt me. I won’t kill you, but I can certainly make your last few hours hell before I do sacrifice you.” 

She needed to act  _ now. _

Bulma dropped to the floor, gun trained directly on Frieza’s face. 

“ _ Fuck! _ He’s back early!” A small voice gasped from the shadows.

“No need to worry, Dodoria. It’s just his little bitch.” Closer up, Frieza’s dead eyes and horns and sharp teeth were even more terrifying than farther away. Bulma steeled her back. She had friends to defend. 

The trigger clicked, blast hitting Frieza in the shoulder.  _ Gotcha. _ The smoke cleared from the explosion; Frieza brushed soot off his shoulder, face furious, but still standing.  _ Shit. _

“That bitch shot me! Dodoria, kill her,  _ now.” _

Bulma pulled a capsule from her pocket and threw it on the ground, a cloud of black darkness enveloping her. She needed to strategize, find a vantage point and take aim again while Dodoria and Frieza still squabbled.

“She’s all alone you dunce, she’s far too weak to do you any actual damage. Now  _ kill her _ before I have to do it myself.”

Orange energy blazed through the darkness. “She’s not alone,” a voice growled from the shadows.

Frieza straightened. “Ah, Saiyan, you’re here at last.”

“Ready to put you in the ground once and for all.” His fists brightened further, energy crackling all the way up his forearms. 

“Ah, I don’t think so. And I do tire of your constant theatrics.” Frieza spun backwards, landing behind Goku’s head. The white hand shot out towards Goku’s neck, a thin line of energy crackling menacingly just below Goku’s jaw. “Stay where you are or he dies,” Frieza spat, eyes narrowed in challenge. 

Underneath Frieza’s hands, Goku’s body began to tremble. Frieza cackled. “Oh look, and he’s so terrified to die.” He laughed again, “Just like all your monkey brethren were too. I do never tire of genocide. And after I kill the two of you, I’ll finally have rid the world of your disgusting ilk.” 

Red energy flooded Frieza’s arms and he screamed, thrown backwards by the force of the transformation. 

Hovering above them was Goku, eyes glowing green and hair flaming red. 

Frieza scrambled backwards, “What is this! I don’t believe it!”

Vegeta’s mouth dropped open. “A—a—Super Saiyan?”  _ How? _

Goku’s finger pointed accusingly at Frieza, “You have caused nothing but damage and destruction, and now your time has come to an end.” His blast of energy caught Frieza directly in the chest, a strangled gasp leaving him as he was thrown roughly against the wall. Goku ignored the injured Frieza, turning to release his friends.

Vegeta couldn’t believe the sight before his eyes. Frieza, who he had struggled for centuries in vain to destroy had been flattened with one blast? He grabbed Goku’s sleeve as he was cutting free the last holiday spirit. “This power, Super Saiyan, it has to be  _ mine. _ It is my  _ birthright.” _

“Super Saiyan isn’t something you become because you want to. It’s something you become because you need to, because you have something to protect. You need to use the Halloween spirit for something else, or someone else, not yourself.” Goku’s eyes flickered towards Bulma, “I think you already have that.” Goku sighed, looking at the white mass across the room. “I’d love to destroy him myself… but I believe that honor belongs to you.” Goku grinned. “Besides, I’d have a lot more fun fighting you later instead.”

Reaching the vent, each freed spirit clambered up, offered a helping hand by their friend. Goku jumped up last, red energy still aglow as he disappeared into the metal shaft. “Hey! Hey Goku, forgetting someone?” Bulma called out indignantly.

Goku’s laugh rang through the vent, “I know he’s gotcha covered.”

A dark blast of malignant energy whizzed past her ear, causing Bulma to yelp as the beam just missed her. “Without your precious protector, you’re  _ mine,” _ Frieza screamed, eyes unfocused and irate. “You’ve always been too weak to kill me, and now your precious little slut will be the next to die.” He took aim again, and Bulma screamed, knowing no matter how fast she moved, it would be too late to dodge.

It never reached her. 

An outstretched hand held the blast in front of her, solid and steady. He stood stock-still, his hold on the power that had almost ended her as unwavering as the strong glow that surrounded him, energy radiating from every pore. And his hair—always so pure jet black before, now burned a molten orange brighter than the sun.

“You will _ never  _ touch her.”

He hurled the ball of energy back, and Frieza was thrown again, a gaping hole spilling black essence from his side. He gaped downwards, jaw opening and closing in shocked disbelief at the wound before his eyes lifted to meet Vegeta’s.

“No! Don’t kill me—I’ll do anything! You’ll never see or hear from me again!” He scrambled backwards, only to be hit by another blast, and another, and another.

Vegeta’s footsteps drew nearer, the beat of a war drum reaching its crescendo. Frieza struggled for traction, trying to scramble away. “In my youth you took  _ everything _ from me—my family, my people, my pride, my childhood… but you will never take her.” Hot heat gushed from his palm, an unrelenting flame on the withering, screaming, melting figure beneath him. 

“Merry Christmas.”

* * *

The pair clambered out of the vent they had entered through, covered in grime but otherwise safe and secure in the other’s presence. Vegeta stepped forwards, turning back to look at the woman behind him, the only light now illuminating him the pale gold of the moon.

He turned his head to the side, remorse clear in his voice. “I sought for something, anything, to cure the loneliness I felt… when what I needed was someone, who was here all along.” He stepped back to her, grasping her hands between his, “Someone who matched my drive, my passion, who tried to pull me back when I strayed too far, and who has supported me every step of the way.” His hand came up to caress her cheek. “Allow me to stay at your side.”

A shadow crossed the moonlight illuminating their faces and the pair looked up to see a sleigh pulled by reindeer cross the moon that winked down on them. And as it crossed, a most peculiar thing came to pass. 

Soft, white, flurries fluttered down around them, each flake spiraling through the air.

Vegeta’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Is this…?”

Bulma smiled up at him. “I think… Christmas is going to be just fine.”

* * *

_ After that night, nothing was ever the same, _

_ For each holiday now knew the other one’s name.  _

_ So Vegeta and Bulma traveled often to see their friends,  _

_ And returned each time with spooktacular ideas without end. _

_ Together each year they stood hand in hand, _

_ And smiled down on the fantastic parade they celebrated in their ghoulish land. _

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y’all enjoyed it! I had pages and pages of notes on which characters were which holiday spirits and how they came to be and how exactly holiday magic works, so, uh, you could say that I enjoyed writing this story 😂
> 
> Thank you to the ever phenomenal [Lady_Red](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Red/pseuds/Lady_Red) for her wonderful beta work and great insights, and as always to the folks at the VBO discord for being the most wonderful ever. And of course…
> 
> HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
> 
> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/MahoganyDoodles) and Discord under the same name!


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